Everything beyond this point will be loosely based off of the TV series. I have been waiting to post certain things due to the season finale, so that I could take the reigns on it and do my own thing without having to worry about any new plot lines. Take it or leave it, but thank you for staying with me up until this point.

Love was kind, for a time
Now just aches, and it makes me blind

Do not ask the price I pay for I must live with my quiet rage
Tame the ghosts in my head that run wild and wish me dead
Should you shake my ash to the wind
Lord forget all of my sins
Oh let me die where I lie beneath the curse of my lover's eyes

Everything had gone to hell and back the night of the school dance. Klaus, whom had possessed Alaric's body, had attacked Elena in his attempt to draw Bonnie to try and kill him, which would in turn, kill her. Klaus' plan had failed due to Damon's plan to fake Bonnie's death so that she would be their secret weapon during the sacrifice. She hid with Jeremy in the old house where all the witches had been burned.

Within a span of 24 hours, the Salvatore brothers had signed the deed of their house over to Elena in order to protect her further from Klaus. That was the day that the still possessed Alaric decided to try and get Jenna, but failed thanks to Stefan. However, that night Elena had to explain everything to her aunt, which was extremely hurt by it all. All the while, Aria had been stuck outside waiting for Damon due to the barrier and Elena not knowing that she had been a vampire.

Then Klaus got his witches to resurrect himself, giving Alaric full control over his body once again. He showed up at the house that morning, 'causing Jenna to almost stake him, with a message from Klaus: The sacrifice was to happen that night, which led everyone to where they were now.

Aria stood outside with an unconscious Matt as she waited for Damon to retrieve Caroline and Tyler from the tomb. She had decided that it was her duty to stay in Mystic Falls and help out with everything. She and Damon hadn't exactly been on the best terms since the night she went to go give Elena her ring. He had barely said a word to her, especially after Stefan had heard them arguing on the front porch the night Klaus tried to attack Jenna. Of course Stefan had to tell Elena, so that Aria could be invited in, which Elena was extremely disappointed in Damon which made Damon extremely upset at Aria for blowing her cover. The only reason she had tagged along with Damon was because Stefan and Elena had gone on a hike to spend time together before tonight and she hadn't wanted to be alone in the house with Jenna and Alaric all day.

"Matt!" Aria turned around to see Caroline on her knees next to her boyfriend, "Did you hit him?"

"Do I have to remind you about the wooden bullets?" Damon scoffed at her, "Just grab boy wonder and let's go."

The group slowly, but surely started making their way to the Lockwood property so that Tyler could lock himself up. But his transformation had already begun, and after a short while, everyone stopped in their tracks when Tyler cried out in pain, falling to the ground.

"I can't hold it off." He told them, "It's happening faster."

"It's okay, Tyler." Caroline cooed to him, "We're almost there.."

"You need to get out of here." Tyler growled out.

Aria stood and watched as his body changed shape, his bones making sickening cracking noises. He looked up at them, his teeth now extremely sharp, and his eyes a golden yellow. He let out a loud grunt, and then leapt at Caroline, only Damon jumped in the way. They wrestled for a few moments, and then Damon threw Tyler off of him.

"You need to go!" He yelled at Caroline and Matt as he tightly grabbed onto Aria's arm.

"We'll go to the cellar," She told him, "If it can hold him in, it can hold him out!"

Before Aria knew it, they were running. Everything was a blur, and the only clear thing she could make out was Damon who was slightly in front of her, holding her hand and directing her where to go. She ran in his footsteps until they got to a clearing near the edge of the woods. They slowed to a stop, and Damon let go of her pale hand. She watched him as he paced back and forth, his eyes wild.

She had never noticed before how his eyes changed from a beautiful blue, to a mint green, and then to almost a white. Never noticed how truly pale his skin was, and how greatly it contrasted with his dark features. His skin was wet with perspiration, and Aria moved towards him to wipe a bead of sweat from his brow. She slowly raised her hand to his temple and Damon froze in his tracks as she did so. His unnecessary breathing stopped as her soft hand touched his cold skin. She trailed her fingers down the side of his face and rested her hand on the sensitive skin of his neck. He stared into her earthy eyes, trying to figure out what she was doing, and found himself lost in them.

Aria took another step towards him and began to place her other hand on the opposite side of his neck, but stopped and rested it against his chest instead. What was she doing? She knew that Damon loved Elena. He was always going to choose Elena. Everything he had done had been for Elena. Aria closed her eyes and began to pull away from Damon, but was stopped by his strong hands which were now firmly planted on her hips. She removed her hands from his body and placed them on his arms, only to be shocked when Damon pushed her back with a grunt.

"What's wrong?" She questioned, "What was that for?"

Damon didn't answer; instead he quickly unbuttoned the cuff of his shirt and rolled it up, pushing back the sleeve of his leather jacket as he did so. With every inch that he pushed back, his arm began to appear red, black veins showing through his skin. Aria looked away from his arm, and looked up at his face which was now twisted in some unknown emotion.

"What is that?" She asked, moving towards him again. He didn't answer, and she gently took his arm into her hands and gingerly touched the irritated skin. "Damon, what happened?"

"It's nothing." He finally answered.

"Damon.." Aria frowned, "Are you alright?"

"We need to go." He told her as he pulled his arm away from her and pushed the sleeve back down. "We're wasting time. We need to save Elena."

"Damon, please." Aria grabbed tightly onto his jacket. "Damon, look at me."

"Stop, Aria." He demanded as he turned to leave, "I can't lose her. I need to go."

"She doesn't even love you like that!" She cried out, instantly regretting what she had said to him. She watched as he hesitated in moving, and then in a flash, he was gone. Aria cursed at herself loudly as she stood in the cold forest, completely alone. She had no idea what she was feeling, and was more confused as to why.

Then, she took off running. She could hear Damon's footsteps, and pushed as much as she could to catch up with him. She began to feel a strange burning sensation in her muscles, but soon enough, she was right next to him. Aria reached out, her hand a blur, grabbed onto his arm and pulled back as hard as she could. Next thing she knew, Damon's feet lifted off the ground and she watched as his body slammed into a tree trunk not far from her. He landed with a grunt, and a shocked expression appeared upon his when their eyes met; neither of them moved.

"I'm sorry, Damon." Aria began, but was quickly cut off by the wind being knocked out of her. She flew backwards and landed on the ground with a thud, her arms pinned above her head, Damon on top of her. They stared at each other for a few moments before a growl escaped from Aria's throat; now she was mad.

She quickly overpowered Damon and rolled him over, pinning him on the ground. This happened a few more times, both of them switching positions. Soon after, Damon got fed up. He picked Aria up and pinned her against the tree that she had thrown him into, causing woodchips to dig into her back through her jacket. She let out a yelp and quickly tried to pull away, but he was too strong.

"What do you think you're doing?" He demanded, "You do not want to pick a fight with me, Aria."

"It's always going to be Stefan, Damon." Aria frowned, "Why don't you see that? It happened with Katerina, it's going to be the same with Elena. Why can't you just see that?"

"You don't know what you're talking about." He shook his head, fighting back the urge to rip open Aria's throat. He had heard this all so many times before, and he did not want to hear it again. He was never going to give up on Elena. Not even if it killed him.

"Damon, please. Why can't you see that someone else actually cares for you?" She begged as she struggled to get her arms free. "Why can't you just let go?"

Damon slowly grabbed both of her small wrists with one of his large hands, and placed his other hand on her chest, right above her heart. "You're wasting my time."

"Fine." Aria shook her head, utterly disappointed and rather embarrassed that she had even tried to make a pass at Damon Salvatore. I mean, who in their right mind would even – and that's when he kissed her. There was no warning, no signs, nothing. It was one swift motion and his ivory lips were against hers. The kiss was softer, and more caring than Aria would have ever thought capable of Damon.

As their lips intertwined with one another, Damon snaked his free hand around Aria's back. Before she could do anything, before she could react, a piercing pain shot throughout her body as Damon plunged a stake deep enough to harm, but not to kill. A sorrow filled groan escaped her mouth against his lips, her eyes searching his for any sign of emotion but there was nothing.

Then, everything went black.